Fish-plate joint



(No Model.)

G. S. LEE.

FISH PLATE JOINT.

Patented Oct. 23, 1888.

No. 391,625. A

Zzezaon /eoz'ye Ulea.

n PETERS. Pmvwwsnpmf. vla-ningun. DA;

lUNiThn @raras artnr ricca.

GEORGE S. LEE, OE DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL SPLICE BAR COMPANY, OF N EWT JERSEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 391,625, dated October 23,1888.

Application filed January 12, 1888. Serial No. 260,569. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beitknown that 1, GEORGE S. LEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Deliver, in the county of Arapahoe and State of Colorado, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Fish-Plate Joints, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the construction of fish-plates for-railway -rail joints, and the purpose thereof is to provide a novel form and arrangement of the parts of a steel fish-plate comprising said plates, whereby the wear of the same or the gradual loss of elasticity resulting from long continued use may be readily and effectually compensated Vwithout renewing any of the parts or removing the plate. lt is my purpose, also, to so construct the fish-plate that it shall give complete elastic support to the rail-head at the joint in such manner as to render the abutting ends of the rails practically integral, and thereby avoid the injury caused by the independent deflection of each rail under the wheels of a moving train.

The invention consists in the several novel features of construction and new combinations of parts hereinafter fully set forth, and specifically pointed out and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a crossscction of a rail, showing the plate in position. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail section showing the manner of forming the lockingopenings- In the said drawings, the reference-numeral 1 designates the head of the rail, having a web, 2, and a foot, 3, all of any usual form.

The numeralet denotes my improved form of lish-plate, consisting of asheet of steel having suitable elasticity, said sheet being bent to forni a longitudinal portion, 5, which underlies the head l of the rail on the inner side. The plate is then bent, forming an angle, G, which lies in the angle between the head l and the web 2, and thence it is curved outward, giving a convex portion, 7, in crosssection, a second angle, 8, being formed to lie on the foot of the rail at the point where it joins the web. The Aplate is extended over the rail foot and is preferably carried over the edge thereof, as shown in Fig. 1. It is then bent over upon itself and curved inward toward the convex portion 7, forminga concave section, 9, the edge of the plate being carried or extended upward until it lies, against the under surface of the portion 5.

Upon the outer side of the rail I place a splice-plate,]0,having outwardly-curvededges 12 and an intermediate portion, 13, which is convex on its outer surface, being bent or curved outwardly away from t-he web 2 of the rail. The marginal portions 12 lie in the angles formed by the web and the head and foot of the rail, respectively.

It will be seen that the plates are convened transversely or at right angles to the longitudinal lines of the plates, in consequence of which, when the said convex portions are pressed toward the web of therail by tightening the nuts on the bolts, the plates are expanded transversely andthe longitudinal upper and lower portions thereby forced tightly against the head and foot of the rail, respectively, to compensate for wear of the plates.

rIhe usual bolt-openings are formed in the the convex portion 13 ofthe splice l0. In the median line of the sh-plate 4, and passing through both the convex and concave portions 7 and 9 of the said plate, l form elongated boltopenings 14, of such size as to readily admit the bolts 15. Upon the exterior face of the concave section 9 of the plate are formed at intervals recesses 16, eut of shallow depth in the face of the plate and having an outline resembling akey-hole, the circular portion 17 having a horizontal portion, 18, the edges 19 of which are parallel. The bolt-openings 14 are eut within these recesses, the ends of said openings being practically central with respect to the circular part of the recesses, the extension or elongation being sufficient to carry them into the horizontal part 18 of said recesses.

I may cut out a section, 20, of the plate at the margin which overlies the edge of the foot of the rail. This section may be left attached to the plate along the edge parallel with the rail and be bent outward, as shown in Fig. l

web 2 and in the median longitudinal line of 75 and in dotted lines in Fig. 2, a spike, 21, being driven against its edge to fasten the plate to the sleepers. I may, however, remove the section 19 entirely and drive the spike with its head lying in the opening formed by its removal; or I may spike down close to the edge without removing any portion of the plate.

The plate is attached by inserting the bolts in the usual manner,the fish-plate being moved longitudinally, so that the bolts will lie in that end of the elongated openings 14 which is central, or nearly so, to the circular recesses 17. Nuts 22 are then turned on the bolts and screwed snugly up, the circular recess 17 being of such diameter as to enable the nut and wrench to turn freely. Vhen the proper tension is reached, the nut is turned sufficiently to bring two ofits parallel sides into line with the parallel edges 19 of the horizontal portion 18 of the recess. The plate is then moved slightly to carry said nuts into this part of the recess and thereby lock them, as shown in Fig. 2.

As the plate wears, or should the elasticity thereof become-impaired by long` use, the plate may be moved to carry the nuts into the eircular part of the recess, whereupon a turn of the nuts will draw the concave section 9 inward, causing its edge to bear with increased force against the margin 5. At the same time the convex portion 7 will be forced inward to some degree, according to the closeness of contact previously existing between it and the concave section. This action will cause the angular portions 6 and 8 to bear with greatly increased stress upon the head and foot of the rail, a like action taking place in the outer plate or splice, 10. In this manner the plates may be so connected and a support of such strength and resistance provided as to render the rails practically integral at the joints, while at the same time ample opportunity for expansion and contraction and an elasticity of thejoint is provided, which is of great iinportance to the proper wear and durability of the parts.

The special reason for employing springsteel as the material-of the fish-'plate is to form a spring-truss underlying and supporting the rail-head, whereby the support shall be such as to render the rails practically integral at the joint, while at the same time the deflection ofthe rails under the wheels of amoving train will be perfectly provided for and peritted.

What I claim is- 1. A fish-plate consisting of a spring-steel plate having a marginal portion underlying the rail-head and a portion extending over the rail-foot, said plate being bent over upon itself and curved upward to underlie the portion under the rail-head, bolt-openings being formed through the same, substantially as described.

2. Afish-plate composed ofaplate ofspringsteel having a marginal portion underlying the rail-head, a portion extending over the railfoot, and an intermediate outwardly curved or convexed portion, said plate being bent upon itself at or near the margin of the rail-foot and curved or concaved toward the rail, its edge underlying and supporting the marginal portion havingdirect contact with the rail-head, substantially as described.

3. A fish-plate consisting of a spring-steel plate having a marginal portion underlying therail-head, a portion extending over theraili'oot, and an intermediate outwardly curved or convexed portion, said plate being bent upon itself at or near the margin of the rail-foot and curved or concaved into proximity with the,

convex portion, its edge supporting the marginal part having contact with the rail-head, bolt-openings being formed in both the outer and inner portions of the plate, substantially as described.

4. A fish-plate consisting of a spring steel plate bent upon itself to form an inner convex and an outer concave portion intermediate between the head and foot of the rail, substantially as described.

5. A fish-plate consisting of a spring-steel plate bent upon itself to form an inner convex and an outer concave portion intermediate of the head and foot of the rail, bolt-openings being formed in both portions, and nut-locking recesses in the outer or concave section, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with the splicing-plate having marginal portions bearing upon the head and foot ofthe rail, andan intermediate convex portion, of a fish-plate consisting of a spring-steel plate bent upon itself forming an inner convex and an outer concave portion between the head and foot of the rail, a marginal part underlying the rail-head and supported by the edge of the concave portion, and

bolts uniting said parts with the rail, sub

stantiall y as described.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE S. LEE. XVitnesses:

JAMns L. Nonnrs, J. A. RUTHERFORD.

IOO 

